• Athletics

Ohuruogu aiming to bounce back

ESPN staff
May 14, 2010
Christine Ohuruogu had a tough time in 2009 © Getty Images
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Christine Ohuruogu begins a busy weekend in Doha on Friday, determined to take the positives from a 2009 that was filled with disappointment.

Ohuruogu endured a year of frustration in 2009, in stark contrast to 2008 when she tasted Olympic glory in Beijing, and a thigh injury saw her trail home in fifth in the 400 metres at the World Championships.

The Brit was at a low ebb after her Berlin loss, but a winter spent training with Jamaican speedster Usain Bolt allowed her to reflect and move on.

"It did screw me up losing my world title, but it made me realise I could lose," she told the Times. "My mum says you can't win everything and she is right. It helped me in a way because I realised that the world did not stop and the ground did not open up and swallow me. I don't want to say it was a bad year, but what I picked up is this sport sucks. You train all year for something and then, for one reason or another, it does not come together."

Ohuruogu is in Doha for the opening Diamond League event of the year, before heading to Manchester for a mouthwatering clash with Jessica Ennis over 150 metres, but this campaign is all about preparing for next season's World Championships and the 2012 Olympics.

"This season is preparation for the next two years," she said. "It's about getting things right so that next year's World Championships will be a dry run for the Olympics."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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